Софи Келли - Faux Paw

“You weren’t being disrespectful,” Lita said. “It doesn’t serve anyone to have her death sensationalized along with the town. These interviews are a chance to make sure people know how hard she worked on this exhibit and how enthusiastic she was about supporting and promoting the local art community.”

Owen turned his head to look inquiringly at me and I smiled at him since I couldn’t smile at Lita.

“And that’s what I’m going to do,” I said. “As usual, you’re right. Are you ever wrong?”

“Oh yes,” she said gravely. “Last October. I was convinced that I was mistaken about something, but it turned out I was incorrect.”

I laughed and she promised she’d send me the details for both interviews once she’d confirmed them with the reporters.

Marcus wasn’t available to have supper, so I called Roma. “Are you free for supper?” I asked. “I have pea soup with ham.”

“Oh, that sounds good,” she said. “Are you free to help strip wallpaper from the little bedroom?”

“Absolutely,” I said.

I had some of Rebecca’s rolls in the freezer. I got them out to take along with the soup. “I’m going out to Roma’s for supper,” I said to Owen, who had watched me get the food ready with great interest.

“Mrrr,” he said, wrinkling his nose in annoyance. Roma was not one of Owen’s favorite people. She was the one who poked him with needles and tried to look in his mouth. I felt the same way about the dentist.

• • •

The library was closed on Saturday and stayed closed Monday. I did both of the interviews and tried to keep the conversation on the exhibit and the town and away from speculation about Margo’s death.

“Can you at least give me an idea about when we’ll be able to reopen?” I asked Marcus as we sat on the swing on his deck after supper Monday night. I leaned over and left a string of tiny kisses down his jawline, ending with a longer, warmer one on his mouth.

“Ummm,” he growled. “Are you trying to influence a police officer, Kathleen?”

“No,” I said. I straightened up and folded my hands primly in my lap. “I’ll stop.”

He pulled me against him. “I didn’t say I wanted you to stop.”

I laughed and laid my head against his chest. Micah padded across the deck and launched herself into Marcus’s lap. I reached over to stroke her fur and in a moment she started to purr.

“I think she likes living here with you,” I said. The little ginger tabby gently kneaded Marcus’s lap with her paw and then stretched out on his leg.

“Ahh, you guys are so cute,” a voice said. Hope Lind was standing by the deck stairs.

I straightened up and tugged at my shirt, suddenly feeling self-conscious, which was a little silly since everyone in town knew Marcus and I were a couple. In fact, it seemed, at times, like half of the town had been invested in us becoming a couple.

“Is everything okay?” Marcus asked.

“Everything’s fine,” Hope said, waving away his concern with one hand. She dropped down onto the built-in bench seating that ran around the deck railing.

Micah immediately jumped down from Marcus’s lap, crossed the deck, and leapt up next to Hope. “Hey, puss,” Hope said with a smile, reaching out to scratch behind the little tabby’s ear. She extended the smile to me. “I actually came to see Kathleen.” She gave an apologetic half shrug. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I did try your cell.”

My phone was sitting on the counter inside. I straightened up the rest of the way and tucked my hair behind one ear. “It’s okay,” I said. “Did you by any chance come to tell me I can open the library tomorrow?”

She looked a little sheepish. “No, it’s actually pretty much the opposite.”

I groaned, tipped my head back to study the sky overhead for a moment and then looked at her. “How long?” I asked.

“The rest of this week and maybe next,” Hope said, her free hand playing with the zipper pull on her jacket. “I’m really sorry.”

I glanced at Marcus, who frowned, his blue eyes narrowing. He clearly didn’t know why the library was going to have to stay closed.

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “Can I at least ask you why the investigation is taking so long?”

“It’s not the investigation,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” I said.

“Neither do I,” Marcus said. “What’s going on?”

Hope blew out a breath. “Part of the reason the museum agreed to this and three or four other exhibits going on the road was to get things out of their building so they could renovate the oldest section.”

“I know,” I said, curling one foot up underneath me. “Margo and Gavin both mentioned it.”

“Contractor was doing something up in the ceiling yesterday and someone set off the sprinkler system.”

Marcus pulled a hand over his neck. “Damn. How much damage?”

“A lot,” Hope said, one hand still stroking Micah’s fur.

“They can’t take the pieces back,” I said.

Hope shook her head, pressing the back of her free hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn. “They’re scrambling to clear up the water damage and find storage for what’s there now. You really should talk to Gavin Solomon. All I can tell you is that the insurance company is balking at having the library open as long as the exhibit is still in place.”

I exhaled loudly in frustration. We had programs that depended on the library for space.

Marcus got to his feet, which set the swing gently swaying back and forth. He gestured to the mug on the deck boards by my feet. “Do you want a refill?” he asked.

I shook my head.

He looked at Hope. “How about a cup of coffee?”

“I don’t want to interrupt anything,” she said.

“You’re not,” I said.

Hope turned to Marcus. “Okay, I could use one.”

His fingers brushed my hair and then he went into the kitchen.

“So what is going to happen to all the artwork at the library?” I asked.

“The plan is to leave it where it is for now. Mr. Solomon has a backup security system up and running, plus a security guard.”

I thought of Margo’s reluctance to have the pieces out of the museum. I was beginning to think she’d been right.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to repack everything? Or better yet, send it all on to the next stop on the tour.” And give me back my building, I added silently.

“There is no more tour,” Hope said. “The insurance company refuses to take on the additional risk with the Weston piece missing. As for packing up everything, apparently there are some extra security measures in the display cases that are supposed to make them safer than just putting everything back in their crates.” She stretched one arm along the railing. “That security system is probably the most complicated one I’ve ever come across. That’s why Solomon has come onto the case as a consultant.”

“What?” Marcus said. He had just come out from the kitchen with the coffee.

“Oh yeah,” Hope said, taking the steaming cup he held out to her. “The word came down from on high.”

I knew by the set of Marcus’s jaw that he wasn’t happy about Gavin being involved in their case.

“You don’t want to work with Gavin,” I said, framing the sentence as a statement and not a question.

A look passed between them.

Hope took a sip of her coffee and gave an offhand shrug. “It’s not that,” she said. “It’s just that anytime someone else gets tied up in an investigation, things always get more complicated.”

It was more than that, I knew, but I also knew it wasn’t the right time to ask more questions.

Marcus sat down next to me again. He didn’t say anything.